


Pixie Dust Never Lies

by OncersInTheTardis



Series: Pixie Dust Never Lies [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Endgame Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, F/F, Homophobia, Mayor Mills, Storybrooke, Swan Queen - Freeform, pixie dust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-11 12:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 21,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13524147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OncersInTheTardis/pseuds/OncersInTheTardis
Summary: Regina has finally moved in with Robin Hood. Well, he moved in with her. With Roland and Henry, her life seems perfect. Not to mention sleeping next to her true love every night. Pixie dust never lies, right?Emma is in a committed relationship with Killian. And she loves him...but something else is bothering her: a feeling she can't shake. But if she should voice her feelings, it could ruin two of the best relationships in her life.A revealed secret, a broken heart, and a stormy night lead Regina and Emma on a path of self-discovery. In the end, they will have to make a choice that will shape their lives forever.(First in Pixie Dust Trilogy)





	1. Moving Day

"I think that's the last of them," said Robin, dropping the box he had been holding on the floor with a dull thud.

"Careful!" I warned.

"It's only clothes and shoes," he replied.

"Well, maybe I'm not as worried about the box as I am my floors." I lifted the box just to make sure. Thankfully, there wasn't even a scratch.

He looked at me, concerned. "Are you worried?" He asked. I knew he didn't mean the hardwood.

I shook my head. "Not worried. Just...a little nervous," I said, biting my lip. "I've never done this before."

He nodded, them looked at me mischievously. He walked towards me slowly.  
"Anything I can do to...remedy that?" he said in a low voice.

I couldn't help smiling. "Maybe..." I said playfully.

He continued advancing towards me until he was with arms reach. Then he grabbed my hips and pulled me the rest of the way towards him. He leaned his head in, barely touching my cheek with his lips. "So," he said softly in my ear, "what are you so nervous about?"

"I..." I couldn't concentrate. "Just..."

"Yes?" he murmured, brushing his lips against my neck.

Suddenly, we heard a voice that was neither Robin's nor mine. "Hello?" They yelled through the house.   
Robin and I quickly pulled apart and collected ourselves. Then Robin went out to meet the interrupter.

"Hey, David," said Robin. "Thanks again for helping with the move."

"Anytime," he said, inviting himself in. "Anything else I can do while I'm here?"

_Leave so we can have some privacy_ , I thought, but I decided to keep that comment to myself.   
"No thank you, David. I think we can take it from here."

"Alright," said David. "Well, just let me know if you need anything." Then he turned around and walked to his truck.

Robin closed the door. "Now where were we?" he asked, putting his hands back on my hips and pushing me onto the door.

"You tell me," I said playfully.

He smiled, leaned his head down towards me, and was about to kiss me when I heard a phone ring.  
"Dammit," he muttered under his breath. He reluctantly pulled himself away from me and went to the kitchen where he'd left his cell phone.

While he was gone I tried to make myself useful. I lifted the box from the floor and struggled a bit up the stairs. I took it up to our room and set it gently next to the bed. Robin was waiting for me when I got back downstairs.

"I'm sorry, Regina, but I have to go, he said. "Little John just called; apparently something's up at the camp."

"That's alright," I said, trying hide my disappointment. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

He smiled. "Of course." He swiftly kissed my cheek, took his jacket off the chair, and walked out the door.

I stood in the kitchen for a bit, unsure of what to do. Then my stomach growled; I forgot that I hadn't  had breakfast that morning. I looked at the time: 12:47. Then I had an idea. I picked up the phone and began dialing in numbers. I put the phone to my ear and waited for an answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Emma? I was just wondering if you would like to join me for lunch at Granny's."


	2. Lunch at Granny’s

I waited anxiously at the table, checking the clock on the wall again. She was only five minutes late, but every minute felt like an eternity. I heard the door open behind me and turned to look. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry I'm late!" said Emma. "I had to get Henry to the docks."

"Spending some quality time with Killian?" I asked. 

"Yeah," she replied. "He's teaching him how to steer the ship. Henry can't stop talking about it."

"Well, it's good that Henry is getting to have some more guy time, but..."

"I know what you think of Killian, Emma interrupted me, "but you don't have to worry; he is very aware of the rules."

"No rum?"

"Yep."

"Home by seven?"

"Yep."

"No girls?"

"Regina, he'll be fine," Emma reassured me.

"Alright...I trust you," I allowed.  
We sat there for a moment in silence. Then I saw the corners of Emma's lips twitch and curl upwards, and I lost it. We started laughing, and we couldn't seem to stop. I would start to pull myself together, but then I would look at Emma's face, still scrunched up with laughter, and laugh even harder. I laughed so had I almost fell off of my chair. Emma was not as quick, and her rear hit the floor with a thump, which only made us laugh more. I'm not sure exactly what was so funny, but by the end of it we are both wiping tears from our eyes. 

We finally got our food. I got a healthy ham sandwich with a side salad, while Emma eagerly dived into her grilled cheese and onion rings. 

I chuckled. "Emma, you really do eat like a child. Would it kill you to eat a salad or something a little more adult?"

"Life is too short to waste it on salads," she replied through a cheesy mouthful. I had to laugh. She really did look like a child, with cheese & crumbs all around her lips. 

We are in silence for a bit. It wasn't awkward, just pleasant. The raspberry vinaigrette on my salad was absolutely delightful, and I can only assume that she enjoyed her lunch, since she was all but shoving it in her face by the fistful. We finished at about the same time; I had given up after eating most of my salad and half of my sandwich, while Emma had all but licked the plate clean.

"So," said Emma after she wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth, "how's the move coming along?" 

"Good," I said. "Roland is really excited. He didn't want to go to school today because he wanted to set up his room."

"Is he taking Henry's room?" She asked.

"No, he's taking the spare room upstairs. You know, the one that used to be a playroom?"

"Oh, yeah. Why are you getting rid of it?"

"Well, we already have a huge backyard, and Roland would always rather be outside, so it doesn't really make sense to keep it. Also, I want to make sure that Henry always has a place to go, just in case. "

Emma nodded. "That's good." Then she looked at me more seriously, and put her hand on top of mine. "I'm really happy for you, Regina," she said, smiling at me. "You deserve your happy ending." 

I smiled back at her, and turned my hand so that if was holding hers. "Thank you." 

We sat there like that for a moment, until Emma liked up at the clock.   
"Oh, damn!" she said. "I gotta go. My lunch ended five minutes ago!"

"You know, since the curse is broken, you going to work is really just a formality..." I suggested playfully. 

"Ha! That's funny!" Emma said sarcastically. "Have you been living under a rock since the first curse broke? It's a wonder I even get lunch."

"I know. Well, you go on ahead; I'll get the check." 

"Fine...but I've got the next one."

"Noted."

Then she stood, grabbed her red leather jacket from the back of her chair, and all but sprinted out of Granny's. I asked Ruby for the check. When she came back, she was giving me a strange look.

"What?" I asked.

She just shrugged. "Nothing." Then she walked away, but turned to look at me one more time before going back into the kitchen. I shook my head. Whatever was up with Ruby, it wasn't any of my business. Anyways, I had to go home. I had to decide what to wear for tonight...


	3. The Road Less Traveled By

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, a little bit anxious.

"I told you, you'll see," said Robin with a grin.

I gave a little huff and crossed my arms. I had thought that we were going to go to the one fancy restraint in Storybrooke, so I had dressed accordingly. However, when Robin came home he quickly looked me up and down and said, "As much as I love that dress...you're going to want something a little warmer." Although I was confused, I obliged, trading my bright, thin red dress for a thicker, darker version with long sleeves. I put on thick black leggings underneath, and finished it off with a black jacket and heeled boots. Then I walked downstairs, got Robins approval on my attire, and off we went.

Now we were sitting in the car in almost complete silence. I had no idea where we were going, since we were headed away from town, so I was a little nervous.

"Is this...David's truck?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied. "He let me borrow it for the night, since I don't have my own vehicle."

"Oh. Okay." We fell back into silence.

As I stared out my window, watching the trees rush by, I started daydreaming. I relived the time Robin and I were sitting in front of my fireplace. There was the wine bottle, the basket of bread & fruit...and Robin. The way he was looking at me...

The truck stopped, jerking me out of my daydream.

"We're here," said Robin. "Stay in the car for a minute; until I come and get you. He gave me a quick peck on the lips, and got out of the truck.

I looked around. All I saw were trees and darkness. Was this some kind of joke? If so, I wasn't laughing.

The seconds ticked by slowly. Agonizingly so. With the truck turned off, the cab started to cool down. I was suddenly grateful for my coat and leggings.

Finally, Robin came back. He walked to my side and opened the door, holding out his hand.

"M'lady," he said, with the slightest bow of his head.

I smiled, and took his hand. He helped me out of the car and began leading me away from the road, into the trees. As he led me through, I noticed that the ground we were walking on was barely worn, and the branches around us had been broken to pave the way. I couldn't help myself, and said quietly,  "And I took the one less traveled by."

"What was that?" Robin inquired.

"Just a famous poem from this world," I replied.

He nodded. "It sounds good. I'd like to hear it."

I looked at him uncertainly, then grudgingly obliged.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

"Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim,  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

"And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I kept the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

"I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference."

I looked up, and he was looking at me, a slightly astonished smile on his face.   
"That was beautiful!"

"Thank you," I blushed. "It's one of my favorites."

We came upon a large log in the middle of the road, and Robin effortlessly leaped over it and landed gracefully on the other side. Such the gentleman, he extended a hand out to me. I was grateful; heeled boots were definitely not great for off-roading.

As he helped me over, Robin kept talking. "I didn't know you were such a fan of poetry."

I shrugged. "Just a special few." I could felt him staring at me even as we were walking. Then we reached the end of the path. Robin cleared away the brush, and I gasped in wonder and surprise. There, in the clearing, was a beautifully laid out picnic. There was fruit and bread and wine and the most adorable little picnic basket.

"Shall we?" Robin asked, extending an arm. I smiled and let him lead me to the blanket. We sat down, Robin not-so-gracefully. "I didn't know what you liked on your sandwich," he said, "so I just asked Granny for a little bit of everything." He opened the basket, which was full of meat and cheese and vegetables.

I chuckled. "Turkey and provolone with lettuce, please." He immediately went to work and produced a very pretty looking sandwich; it didn't taste too bad, either.

After we finished our sandwiches I wiped my face.

"Wait," said Robin, digging in the basket. "A queen should never go without dessert!" Then he produced a chocolate-covered strawberry and handed it out to me. Before I could grab it, however, he stopped me. "No, let me," he said. He lifted the strawberry to my lips and let me bite into it. It was sweet, and juicy, and rich, and delicate. My mouth was full, so I nodded in approval.

Robin smiled, then became serious. "Regina...I need to talk to you about something."

I stopped chewing, suddenly nervous. In my experience,  this was not a good sign. "Yes, Robin?"

"I know we just moved in together..." He continued.

My mind raced. Was he breaking up with me? Moving out?

"And I couldn't be more excited. But I've been thinking..."

Suddenly my phone rang. I groaned. I told everyone to only call if it was an emergency. I picked up my phone and looked at the caller ID: it was Mary Margaret. "I'll just be a second," I told Robin. I picked up the phone.

"Hello?"  
"Mary Margaret, I told you only to call me if it was an emergency!"  
There was silence on the other end.   
"What is it? Is it Gold? My sister? Some new villain? What???"  
"Regina...it's Emma."

I was quiet for a moment. "I'll be there as soon as I can." I hung up.

"What's the matter?" Robin asked.

"Emma's in trouble,"I replied. He immediately understood.

"Go ahead and take the truck," he said. "I can get a ride from Little John."

"Thank you," I said. I kissed him quickly, grabbed the keys, and ran to the truck.


	4. The Wall

I drove as quickly as I could through the streets of Storybrooke. I knew that being the mayor meant I had to set an example for everyone, but I also knew that the sheriff wasn't out and about to pull me over...and that she needed me. So Mr. Gold's shop flashed briefly in my peripheral vision  before I passed it; as did the rest of the buildings.

Finally, I reached Emma's place. Well, I guess it was really the Charmings' place, now that the whole family moved in. But I didn't have time to speculate. I rushed in as quickly as I could and knocked in the door. I was not greeted by Emma, as I had expected, but her mother.

"Thank God, you're here!" She exclaimed, and all but dragged me into the house. "Please go talk to her. She says she can't tell anyone except for you."

"Tell me what?" I asked, a little nervously.

"Everything."

David, as a true  Charming, asked if I wanted anything. When I politely declined, he gestured to me that Emma was upstairs. I thanked him silently, and tiptoed up.

There she was, lying in a half-fetal position. Not crying, just sitting there staring into space. "Emma?" I asked tentatively.

She turned her head over, looking at me. "Hey, Regina."

I decided to get straight to the point. "What happened? "

Emma hesitated briefly then whispered, "Killian proposed."

I knew her enough by now to know by her tone that this was not a thing to celebrate right now.

I sat down beside her on the bed and put my hand on her shoulder. "So why didn't you say yes?" She didn't answer.   
"Do you not love him?" She shook her head.  
"Then why not say yes?" She shrugged her shoulders.

I began to take in a sterner tone, "We've talked about this, Emma. You can't keep building these walls up around your heart; you'll continue to push people out of your-"

"I know I build walls!" She yelled at me, sitting up abruptly, "And that I have to keep tearing them down in order to find happiness! And I know it takes work!  
"You think it was hard to get past these walls and admit I could love a man? Well, I did that. But it wasn't enough, Regina!" She paused, taking in a ragged breath. I could tell she was fighting back tears. "I didn't know...it wasn't until I saw him on his knee that I realized..."

"What?"

She took another deep breath before continuing, "While I was tearing down Killian's wall, I'd built myself another without even realizing it. And I'm done, Regina. I'm through with hiding behind walls and hurting more of the people I love."

The tension in the room was almost tangible. I couldn't move. I could hardly breathe. "What wall, Emma?"

She looked at me--no, _stared_ at me--with an expression that I had never seen on her before. For once, I couldn't tell what the hell she was thinking.

Suddenly she grabbed my face and pulled it towards hers until her soft, pink lips rested on mine.

She pulled away quickly to gauge my reaction. I didn't know _how_ to react. There was a taste on my lips that I couldn't place. As I tried to make sense of it all, I looked at her hopeful, terrified eyes.

Apple. It was apple.

I grabbed Emma by her shoulders and pulled her back towards me. Our hungry lips found each other's and fit together perfectly. The taste of her apple lip balm drove me crazy. The smell of her hair--the feel of her hands on my cheek, my arms, my back--all came rushing to me at once. I moaned at the ecstasy of it all. And it didn't stop.

Our kiss lasted for what felt like forever. Eventually, Emma pulled away. I was about to protest, but Emma whispered between heavy breaths, "My parents..."

"Oh, yeah," I whispered back. We sat there for a little bit, our heavy breathing the only sound. Then we looked up at each other, and smiled. In a moment like this, no words were needed.

I'd broken through her wall.


	5. Conflicted

As I walked back home and the thrill of that moment began to wear off, I started freaking out. What had she done? What had _I_ done? Killian loved Emma, and although he would never be worthy of her, he was the closest anyone would ever get. Knowing what happened last time he lost love...I didn't want to know what would happen if he lost Emma.

And what about me? What about Robin? I groaned. This would kill him. He just moved in with me! How could I do this to him now? And to Roland? They'd already lost a wife and a mother; how could I do that to them again? I knew what I had to do; I had to tell Emma that this would not work and that I needed her to just be my friend. Then never speak of it again.

But when I thought about the way she held me, the feel of her hands on my back, the warmth of her lips on mine...I felt something I knew I shouldn't deep in the pit of my stomach. I was exhilarated and horrified and excited and nervous all at the same time. All of these conflicting emotions made me dizzy, and I had to lean up against a building to steady myself.

"Is everything alright, Regina?" a familiar voice asked. I looked up, and saw Archie approaching with his little black umbrella he always carried and his Dalmatian, Pongo.

"I'm fine," I replied. "Just...got a little dizzy."

He looked at me carefully. "You don't look fine," he said. "Do you need to talk?"

"If and when I need a therapy session, I'll give you a call," I snapped. "Until then, please just stay out of my business, bug."

"Alright," he said, putting his hands up defensively. "Just let me know if you ever need anything." Then he took Pongo and walked around me towards his office. I needed comfort, I needed home. I needed Robin. Now.

I pushed myself off the wall and looked up to see where I was. The sign to the library  loomed over me. I took a couple of steps, and the faded-red top of the clock tower came into view. I read the time: 10:15. Wow. I _really_ needed to get home.

 

As soon as I got home Roland ran down the hallway and threw his arms around me. "Regina! I'm so happy you're home. I was worried about you, when Daddy came home by himself. Is Emma okay?"

I crouched down and hugged him tighter. "Thank you, Roland. And, yes, Emma's going to be okay." I looked up over Roland's shoulder, and Robin was leaning up against the wall, watching us. I pulled away from Roland and walked towards Robin. As soon as I reached him I hugged him and held on like he was the only thing holding me together. Honestly, he probably was.

"Regina, are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, just worried about Emma."

"Well, what happened."

"She...she refused Hook."

"Oh." Robin was immediately understanding. "Do you know why?"

I immediately felt the crashing weight of guilt and panic. Should I tell him? Should I keep it a secret? What would he do? What would he say? Would he be disappointed? Would he leave me? Would he go after Emma?

I knew that I should tell him. I knew that I had to tell him. That was the right thing to do, right?

"Regina?"

"Sorry, what?" I said, pulled out of my train of thought.

"Why did Emma refuse Hook?"

"Um...she didn't say."

He looked at me skeptically. "Really?"

"Uh-huh," I replied, trying not to let my voice crack.

"But...Regina, you're her best friend. Surely she told you something."

"No. I tried, Robin, but I could get anything out of her. She just told me that she had said no."

Robin took my hands and squeezed them comfortingly. "I'm sorry. This must be really hard on you. But I promise that I will be here for you; I know you can help her figure out what her heart says." Then he pulled me in and held me. His strong arms supported me, and his fingers slowly caressed my back and wound in my hair. I leaned against his shoulder and sighed. Moments like that....those were the moments I looked back on and treasured the most.

  
But that didn't stop me from tossing and turning all night long. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Emma: her golden hair, her green eyes, her rare and delicate smile. And one question nagged at me like an itch I couldn't quite reach: Why didn't I just tell Robin the truth? I'm sure he would have understood. After all, it was one-sided...right?

I shook off my doubt. Of course it was one-sided! I loved Robin; even pixie dust said that he was my happy ending, and I wasn't going to spoil it now. I resolved to talk to Emma the next day and stop this whole thing before it became serious, and I slept.


	6. Advice From a Cricket

I walked down Main Street like I did every day to go to my office. The sky was overcast, like usual. Granny and Ruby were setting up the sign with today's specials in front of the door: chicken noodle soup and a BLT for lunch, and meatloaf with green beans for dinner. Clearly, I wasn't going to be eating at Granny's today.

I felt my mind wander to Emma as I made my way down the familiar road: her smile, her voice, her touch. Then I thought about Robin, and the way he held me the night before. I kept flipping between the two until I broke out of my reverie and realized that I had stopped in front of Archie's office building. My eyes drifted up to the gold address numbers and around the green door frame until they rested on the faded brass doorknob.

Before I fully registered what I was doing, my hand reached out and twisted the doorknob, and I started walking in the door, up the stairs, to Archie's office. I was about to knock when I stopped. I stared at the name engraved in gold on the door: Dr. Archibald Hopper. What was I doing? I didn't need a psychiatrist, I needed to call Emma. I already knew what I had to do. I turned around, but before I had made a step I heard the door open behind me.

"Regina!" Archie exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just..." I faltered. "I was just leaving."

He didn't buy it. "Regina, if you have something on your mind, you can talk to me," he said. "It might give you some peace of mind."

I hesitated. Maybe he was right. I thought I knew what to do, but there was something tugging at me, demanding my attention, but I couldn't see it. I needed help...and maybe Archie could help me.

I walked past Archie before I could change my mind and sat on the worn green couch. Archie, however, closed the door and walked leisurely to his desk. He slowly gathered his things: a notepad, a pencil, and a brand new folder. Then he sat down in his armchair, and wrote _Regina_ on the folder. Finally, he looked up at me, and asked, "So, what's on your mind, Regina?"

So I told him everything: how I moved in with Robin, how Emma refused Hook, even the kiss. I was hesitant at first, but as I kept talking I became more comfortable, and spoke with more confidence. When I finished, Archie didn't do anything. He didn't talk, he didn't look at me with a judgmental scowl; he just looked at the floor, deep in thought.

Finally, he spoke. "This is quite the predicament." He was quiet for a few more seconds before he started asking questions. "How do you feel when you are around Robin?"

I thought for a moment. "I feel happy, content; I feel like I belong, at home in the world."

He nodded and wrote something on his clipboard. "And with Emma?"

I expected this question, but I still felt like I was caught off guard. How did I feel? "I feel...I feel alive. I feel like I can say anything, or do anything with her. She understands me in a way no one else in this town does. I can tell her anything. With her I feel free to be myself."

He nodded and scrawled something else on his notepad. "That's very interesting," he mumbled. After he was finished, he put the notepad on the floor next to him, rested his elbows on his knees, and looked up at me. "It seems to me like you have a very difficult choice: you can either stay with the man who makes you feel at home, or explore a new relationship with the woman who makes you feel free. Have you ever had romantic feelings towards a woman before?"

I shook my head.

"Well, this means that you are in completely new territory. What do you think you should do?"

"My head tells me that I should stop this before it goes any further; I have a life with Robin, and this would probably devastate both him and Roland."

He nodded; he did that a lot. "And your heart?"

I shook my head. "I don't know."

"Well, my advice would be to find out as quickly as possible, and to listen to your heart. However, if you believe that it is best to stop this, you had best to it sooner rather than later; if you wait to long, there could be serious consequences."

I nodded. "Thank you Doctor Hopper. I think I know what to do now."

"Any time, Regina," standing up and reaching out to shake my hand. "Remember, if you ever need to talk, my door is always open...from 7 to 11." He winked. I chuckled at his bad attempt at humor, and waved on my way out of the door. Archie really was a good guy.

I wasted no time. Archie was right: the sooner I talked to Emma, the better. I took out my phone and found Emma in my contacts. Anxiously, I waited while the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Emma? I was wondering if you could meet me at my office tonight; we need to talk."

"Sure. When do you want me to get there?"


	7. Rained In

The rain hit the glass window pane in a disorganized, musical rhythm. It was a pleasant, soothing chaos, much like an orchestra warming up before a performance.

Emma sat in one of the comfy armchairs in my office, making herself at home, like she usually did. Her legs were draped over one arm of the chair, and she supported her upper body by resting her elbow on the other arm, and her customary red leather jacket was draped over the back of the chair; the picture of ease.

"Comfortable?" I asked, walking towards the little cabinet across from my desk.

"Yes, actually," she replied, smiling smugly. I shook my head and struggled with the heavy tray of drinks.

"What is all that?" Emma asked.

"It's my 'If someone important comes into the office' kit," I replied. "I'm always prepared for company." I wobbled a little when I got halfway to the coffee table.

"Do you need help with that?" She asked, lifting her torso a bit in concern.

"I've got it," I assured her. She settled back in the chair, looking more comfortable than ever. I finally made it to the coffee table and set the tray down as gently as I could. There was a small clinking sound when I set it down on the glass top. Emma sat up, intrigued with the variety of options.

"Take whatever you like," I told her. She debated for a moment, her face conflicted for a moment. Then she reached out and took a shorter bottle with subtle, intricate designs on the edges. Inside the bottle was an amber liquid, almost gold in the light. It almost looked like a normal drink, except it seemed to reflect the light a little more than any other drink.

"What is this?" Emma asked.

"Ambrosia," I replied. "Not actual ambrosia, mind you--that would kill you in an instant. It's sort of a mock-ambrosia for mortals."

She looked at it more closely. "What is ambrosia?"

"Essentially...the drink of the gods. It is said that the gods, like Zeus and Aphrodite, live off of real ambrosia. It's supposed to bring the drinker unimaginable pleasure and could fill the belly of a starving man. Then a couple thousand years ago, a group of wizards made their own version, and the recipe is what made the drink you've got in your hand." I nodded toward the bottle.

"Sweet," she said in admiration.

Before she could form the words, I said, "No."

"I figured."

"I'm saving that drink for a very special occasion," I explained. "Although it doesn't have quite the same effect as the real thing, it is still quite potent." Surprisingly, she didn't argue. She simply put the drink back on the tray and poured herself a different drink, this one without magical properties. I opted out; I wanted to be sober for what happened next.

"So, Emma...the reason why I asked you to meet me here..." I was shaking. Why was I so nervous?

"You wanted to talk to me?" Emma finished.

"Yes, I did." I took a deep breath, and the words started pouring out of my mouth. "What happened last night was new and exciting and strange...but it can't go any further. I have Robin and Roland, and you have Killian. You love him, I know you do; I can see it every time you look at him. Don't you realize how much this would kill him?" I looked down and saw Emma's hurt eyes just before she hung her head. But I couldn't stop the words that were flowing like a tidal wave from my mouth.

"It would affect not only you and me, but everyone else close to us: Robin, Roland, Hook, Henry...your parents. There's no way that this could work. I'm sorry." I finally managed to shut my mouth. If gotten my point across; there was no need to hurt her further.

She didn't move for a couple of seconds, enough that for a moment I started to worry that she would be frozen like that. Finally, she looked up, and I could see the tears welled up in her eyes. Then I watched the water spill over one of her emerald-green eyes, a single tear falling down her face. My heart fell.

"It's...it's okay," Emma said, standing slowly. "I understand. I won't bother you anymore." She started walking out quickly, leaving her jacket on the chair.

"Emma." I started to run after her, but almost twisted my ankle on my black heels. I kicked them off and ran to catch up with her. "Emma, wait!" I called out, running for the door. The weather had worsened since she'd arrived; the rain fell in sheets, and I could hear the distant roll of thunder. I hesitated for a moment in the doorway, put off by the rain. But then I saw Emma walking away in the storm. I exited the house, and was immediately greeted by cold and wet.

"What on earth are you doing? You can't go home in this storm!" She kept walking, pretending like she couldn't hear me. I walked faster, gaining up on her. "Come back inside until the storm blows over. You're going to kill yourself!"

Suddenly Emma stopped and spun around to face me. I had to stop in my tracks so that I didn't run into her.

"I don't buy it, Regina," Emma said. "Let's pretend for a second like there is no one else to worry about: just you and me. If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you are not at all attracted to me, I will leave you alone; things can go back to the way they were." She stared at me, her emerald eyes determined and unwavering. It felt like she was staring straight into my soul, searching for the truth.

I wanted to say I wasn't attracted to her--I should have told her that--but as I looked at her, at the way the rain made her white shirt cling to her slim, muscular body; the way her wet hair fell in a messy tangle that just barely touched her breasts...I couldn't form the words.

"I..." I struggled, looking away. "I...don't know..."

I looked up at her. We made eye contact for just a second, but that second said it all. In two swift steps Emma closed the distance between us, grabbed me by my shoulders, and brought my lips to hers. I was caught off guard for a moment, but soon fell into her rhythm. We stood out there on he rain for about a minute, just feeling the moment, feeling each other. Her lips fit perfectly with mine, like two pieces of the same puzzle. I could taste her apple-flavored lip balm again, which only made me go crazier. Then she pushed me inside, never breaking contact with me. I heard the door shut behind us--must have been Emma. She led me to my office, reaching behind my back to the latch on my dress as she did so. She finally got it unhooked when we passed through the doorway. With one hand she pulled my face even closer to hers; with the other she slowly unzipped my dress until the zipper rested at my hip.

I returned the favor, taking the bottom of her shirt and lifting it over her head. As soon as her face was exposed, I kissed her again. Then I reached down and unbuttoned her jeans. I unzipped them and pushed them over her butt until they fell around her ankles. Emma, in turn, reached up to my shoulders and gently pushed the sleeves of my dress until they fell in a heap on the floor.

Suddenly, she stopped kissing me. I opened my eyes, confused. She took a step back, looking at me from head to toe. It made me feel suddenly self-conscious, standing in the middle of my office in nothing but my black underwear.

"Regina, you're...beautiful," she said in a low voice. She smiled, and I blushed, looking away. A second later I felt her warm hand gently move my chin until I was looking straight into her eyes, and she kissed me again. I felt her arms grip my waist firmly, pulling me even closer to her. She led me to the couch and gently laid me down upon it.

I must have looked as nervous as I felt, because she looked at me in concern. "What's wrong, Regina?" she asked.

"It's just..." I answered, embarrassed, "I've never done this before."

She smiled, understanding. "Neither have I," she said. Then she leaned down and whispered in my ear, "But I'm willing to try." I shivered in excitement, which made her chuckle softly. She kissed me again, and I could feel her need. Then I felt her lips mov from my lips to my cheek to my neck to my collarbone. I shivered again, and moaned. But she continued her path, her kisses trailing down my chest and stomach.


	8. The Morning After

I woke up to the bright sunlight filtering in through the curtains. I groaned and raised my hand, shielding my eyes from the disturbance. Finally, I decided that it was pointless and sat up. A rush of cold as the blanket fell off my shoulders alerted me to the fact that I was in only my underwear. I gasped, both from the cold and the fact I was almost-naked in... _Wait_ , I thought, _Where am I?_ I looked around and saw my desk, the familiar white forest wallpaper, and the black furniture. _Why am I in my office...in my underwear?_ I thought. Then the events of the night before came rushing to me all at once: Archie, the call, the storm, Emma...

I looked around frantically. Where was Emma? I saw my dress on the floor. Wrapping the blanket around me, I went to go inspect it: the dress was soaked. Figured. What was I going to wear?

Then I spotted something draped over my desk chair. When I went to investigate, I saw a pair of black slacks and one of my blue dress shirts. On top was a note.

 _Regina,_  
I figure your dress will probably still be wet after last night, so here's a change of clothes. I found the pants in one of your drawers (you might want to put a lock on a few of those, by the way). I've been meaning to give you back this shirt for a while now, actually: it's the one Henry gave to me to borrow the day David woke up. I found it in my closet about a month ago. I put it in my car to give to you, but I always seemed to forget about it until I got home. I guess it's a good thing I had it, though.   
I'm sorry I had to leave, but I figured that it would probably be better for you if we weren't seen leaving your office together. I'm sure you understand. I texted Robin for you. He was worried about you in the storm, but I told him that you were fine and fell asleep waiting for the storm to stop.   
Thank you for an amazing night. I know that this isn't easy for you. It's not easy for me, either. But I'm sure that we'll figure this out together.   
Sincerely,  
Emma

I read the letter. Then I re-read it, particularly the last paragraph. There were multiple lines crossed out and scribbled over right before it, but there were too many scratches over the words to read them. For some reason I felt like those lines were somehow important. I wanted to decipher it, but there was no time; I could hear my phone going off like someone was dying. I quickly got dressed. As I buttoned up my shirt, I could smell Emma's faint scent on the fabric; it was intoxicating.

My phone kept vibrating, and I knew it was time to go. I grabbed my bag, phone, keys, and dress and started running out the door. Just before I left I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and stopped in my tracks. I took a couple of steps back an really looked at my reflection. My hair was horrifying: it was a tangled, wavy mess; pieces of it were sticking in every direction. I couldn't go out into public like this! I went to my desk and grabbed a brush. I tried to tame the beast, wincing in pain every few seconds. When I could get the brush through my hair without extreme pain, I looked at myself in the mirror. Deciding that that was as good as it was going to get, I gathered my things and headed for the door. I was so anxious to get going that I almost ra into someone who stood in the doorway, poised to knock.

"Oh, goodness! I didn't see you there, Spencer."

He nodded, about the most cordial thing you could get from the man. "Is there anyone else here?" He asked, looking behind me into the office.

"Um, no," I replied. "It's just me."

"Good, good," he said. We stood there awkwardly for a moment; he seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment. Then he came back to reality and asked, "May I come in?"

"Of...course," I said. I had no idea what he could possibly want, but I didn't care much to find out. "I was just leaving." I tried to walk past him, but he shifted, barring my way.

"Actually, I was hoping to have a word with you, Madam Mayor."

I managed a fake smile. "Sure." In truth, I would rather do just about anything rather than talk to Storybrooke's unpleasant public attorney. However, I stepped aside and let him in. He walked inside and invited himself into my office. I followed him in, closing the door behind me. "Take a seat," I offered.

He remained standing. "Quite a storm that was last night."

"Yes," I replied. "We'll probably have quite a few problems to fix after a storm like that."

"Undoubtedly," he said with a smirk. "Not to mention the one you've just caused."

I was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

Spencer gave me a cold look before walking towards the window. "I noticed Miss Swan's car in front of the office last night. Quite a distinct vehicle; unmistakeable in this little town."

"Yes," I responded coolly. "There were a few things I needed to go over with her."

He nodded, looking away. "I noticed that it was still here this morning, too." I froze. He knew, or at least suspected.

"And?" I challenged him, trying not to sound as scared as I was.

"Don't play dumb, Regina. I know what's going on here," he spat, "and it is vile and disgusting. Have you no shame?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I insisted.

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about, and soon the entire town will, as well."

"Is that a threat?"

"You'll know when I'm threatening you.," he said coolly. For now, it's a warning."

"I think you should leave," I said, gesturing towards the door.

He turned away from the window and started walking out of the building. Just as he was about to pass the doorway, he turned to me and said, "You might want to get that stain on your couch taken care of, by the way." Then he walked to his car and drove away.

I stood for a moment in the doorway, trying to catch my breath. So Spencer knew. That could mean trouble; it probably would, actually. I needed to do something about him, and quickly. I ran back into the office; sure enough, there was a circular stain on in the middle of one of the couch cushions. Damn. There was no time. So I decided to simply lay the blanket over the spot for the time being, or at least until I could get it cleaned up.

Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate again. I needed to get home. I gathered up all of my things as quickly as I could, made one final check in the mirror, and walked out to my car.


	9. House Call

"Regina, are you okay?"

The voice shook me out of my reverie. "Yeah, sorry. Just...lost in thought, I guess."

Robin nodded. "Well, I just asked if you could take care of Roland tonight; the boys want to have a get-together. Little John asked if I could join them."

"Oh. Sure," I agreed. I smiled at him, then resumed looking out the window.

It had been two weeks since Spencer's threat, but it definitely still worried me. Emma and I started having lunch at Granny's almost every single day, and she had been making frequent visits to the office. We never went as far as we did that first stormy night, but we certainly weren't discussing problems at the sheriff's station. I still felt guilty after every single meeting, but she just made me feel so...alive. She already knew everything about me; all the things I'd done, all the people I'd hurt, and she still looked at me with so much trust and acceptance; I didn't have to be anyone else but myself when I was around her.

However, I was still in love with Robin; I couldn't deny that. He was so kind and generous and brave; I could always count on him. Not to mention Roland, who was just the sweetest little boy. They both brought so much joy in my life when I felt like that part of my life was behind me. After all they had done for me, how could I abandon them?

"Regina!" Robin nearly shouted, shaking my shoulder.

"What?" I asked, disoriented.

"We're home." He looked at me, concern in his eyes. "Are you sure you're alright? You seem...distracted."

"Yes, I'm fine," I assured him. "I'm just a little tired."

He nodded, believing me. "Well, maybe you should get some rest before I drop Roland off."

"Yes...I think I will. Thank you, Robin."

He smiled, and leaned in to kiss me. It was sweet and loving. However, it lacked the passion that we had once had...the passion that Emma's kiss had now. When he pulled away a charming smile spread across his face. I automatically smiled in return, but my thoughts were a jumbled mess of emotions. I got out of the car quickly so he wouldn't read my emotions on my face. I waved at him as he drove off, and walked into the house. I had hardly stepped into the living room before I crumpled onto the couch. I kicked off my shoes and laid my head back. I started drifting to sleep. A few minutes later, however, I heard noises coming from the next room. I bolted up, heart pounding in my chest. Who was in my house? Or...what? Then I heard footsteps coming towards me. I tensed, ready to defend myself.

"Regina?" A voice called out. I sighed in relief.

"Damn it, Emma, you scared the hell out of me!"

Emma emerged from around the corner and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Regina. Didn't want to come in the front door." She continued walking towards me.

I shook my head, stood up, and met her in the middle of the room. Immediately she put her hand up to my face and pulled me into a kiss. Her other arm wrapped itself around my waist, pulling me even closer. I threaded my fingers through her soft hair, wrapping my arms around her neck. She took a step towards me, and our feet became entangled and we tripped, falling In a laughing heap on the couch with her lying on top of me. We kissed like that for a couple of minutes, until I broke it. We laid there for a second, breathing heavily.

"We have to stop meeting like this," I said.

"Agreed," said Emma. Then she pulled away and sat up; I could see the wheels turning in her head. "I want to take you somewhere: just you and me."

"We eat at Granny's together all the time," I said jokingly, sitting up as well.

"True, but I want to take you somewhere special one night." She thought for a moment. "Are you busy tonight?"

"Yes, actually," I replied. "I am watching Roland while Robin is having a boy's night."

She nodded. "I understand." Then her face lit up. "I have an idea! Henry and I aren't busy tonight, and Roland loves Henry; what if we took the boys to do something? Just the four of us?"

"That's a great idea! It certainly beats just sitting around the house." Then I frowned. "What would we do?"

"Hmm." Emma thought. "I don't know. I'll ask Henry if he has any ideas when I get home."

"Alright," I said smiling.

Emma drummed her fingers on the arm of the couch, her pink lips pursed slightly. "So...when are Robin & Roland coming home?"

I checked the wall clock. "About half an hour probably."

She nodded, a sly grin forming across her face. "So, that means we have a good 15 minutes to ourselves..." She leaned in towards me, a mischievous glint in her eye.

My grin widened, and I closed the distance between us.


	10. Pac-Man

The noise was the first thing I noticed: the squeals of children, the shouting of the few adults, and the high-pitched sound effects of the games. Then I turned the corner, and I was shrouded in darkness for a split second before millions of colored lights seemed to surround me. It was chaos.

"At least it's not busy," Henry said.

I looked at him incredulously; this wasn't busy???

"Yeah, kid," Emma said. "I didn't even know we had an arcade in Storybrooke!"

"We didn't really in the first curse," Henry replied. "The machines were here, but they broke a lot and ate people's quarters a lot of the time. It was basically an excuse to hang out with friends after school without parents' permission."

That last statement surprised me. "Henry?"

He understood my concern. "I never went, Mom. I was too scared of getting punished." He smiled.

I smiled back, trying to hide the stab of guilt in my gut. I had been such a bad mother to him for so long: so cold, so unapproachable. No wonder he had thought I didn't love him.

I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. I looked over and Emma was looking at me. She smiled, understanding, and squeezed my shoulder comfortingly. I smiled back. She always knew how to make me feel better.

"Here it is!" Henry said, running over to a machine with a picture of a short, fat, yellow man and multicolored ghosts. "I love this game!"

"Pac Man, huh, kid?" Emma said.

"You gotta love the classics," Henry replied.

Pac Man. I thought it an odd name for a video game. I watched as Henry controlled the little yellow circle, eating the little white circles and avoiding the colored ghosts. He was good. Just when I had started getting the rules, he ate a dot that was lager than the rest, and the entire game changed color. Suddenly, Henry was chasing the ghosts instead of running away!

"Henry, watch out!" I yelled, but I was too late; he'd run smack into a ghost. However, the game didn't end; another little yellow guy appeared back in the middle, and Henry kept going.

"It's okay, Mom," Henry mumbled. He was completely engrossed in the game. Henry made it to Level 3 before a ghost killed his last Pac Man.

"Not bad, kid," Emma said, nodding her approval.

"Thanks, Mom." Then Henry looked at both of us, speculating. Finally, his eyes rested on me. "Your turn, Mom."

"Oh, no no no no," I said. "I don't think that I..."

"Please, mom?" Henry asked with a pleading look.

I groaned. Why did he do this to me? "Alright." I conceded. Henry lit up and stepped out of the way. I approached the machine slowly, and placed my hand on the controller. There were two walls on either side of the screen and a a small overhang that barely came up to my head; It was almost as if I'd stepped into another world with just me and the screen.

Henry put a quarter in the machine, his hand hovering over the START button.   
"Are you ready?" he asked.

I nodded. "Do it."

He pressed the button.

The screen froze and went blank for a moment. Then the maze, the ghosts, and the little yellow man appeared, and the game began. I played for approximately ten seconds before I ran right smack into a ghost. I groaned in exasperation. "I told you I couldn't do this," I said.

"Yes you can!" Henry insisted. I wasn't convinced, but I stayed at the machine for his sake. Suddenly, I felt a presence just behind me, and long hair brushing the back of my neck.

"I'll help you, Emma whispered in my ear, her lips barely touching my ear and making it tickle. She placed her left hand on my hip, and with her right hand she grasped my hand on the joystick; in order to reach, however, she had to take a step forward, pressing her body against mine. My breath caught, surprised by the sudden contact; we were literally cheek to cheek. I tried to concentrate on what Emma was doing, but she was also very distracting.

"Just stay focused," she said in a low voice. "All you have to do is focus on your goal, and don't get killed."

So I focused on the screen: the ghosts and the dots. Together we moved the Pac Man, weaving in and out and dodging the enemies and eating. After a while, I said, "Hey, you're pretty good!"

Then Emma chuckled, and said, "I'm not controlling it anymore, Regina." Her hand was still holding mine, but it was no longer moving the joystick.

I was shocked, and almost got trapped by the pink and blue ghosts. "What? When did you stop?"

"When you listened."

  
I made it to the end of Level 3 before Pinky took my last life. I was a little bit exhausted, so I decided to go sit on a bench while Emma took the boys to the hunting game. While they were walking away I pulled out my phone to check my messages. Noting demanding; just a few emails from work.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

I looked up, and Henry was standing in front of me. "Of course not, Henry," I said, "but...weren't you going with Emma and Roland?"

Henry shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not a fan of shooting games," he said. Plus, I think they'd fine over there."

I looked over and saw Roland standing on a chair and Emma briefly helping him adjust the gun before grabbing the other one herself. I chuckled a bit; it was adorable.

"So..." Henry started. I looked over at him, and he was staring at me with a knowing face. Oh, boy.

"Yes?"

"You and Mom, huh? You and Emma, I mean."

My heart skipped a beat; how could he know? "Wha...how...?" I stammered.

"I can tell, Mom," he said. "With the way you two look at each other, it's pretty obvious."

I nodded. "How long...?" I trailed off.

"Two weeks or so ago I noticed mom acting different. I noticed you a couple of nights ago."

"Oh." We sat in an awkward silences for a couple of seconds.

Suddenly he asked, "Do you love her?"

That took me by surprise. How was I supposed to respond to that?

"I...well, we...well, I don't know," I stammered. "There's definitely something there; I can't deny that."

He nodded. "And that's okay," he said. "It's new." Then his face became serious. "You might want to tell Robin, though."

I sighed. "I know. It just all happened so fast...Let me figure out some things before we tell him, okay?"

"Okay," said Henry, "but don't take too long."

I smiled at him. "What did I do to deserve you?" I said, stroking his hair. "You've grown up so fast."

"But not too fast!" And with a wink he dashed to the games again. I watched him run to Emma and challenge her to a one-on-one fighting game, while Roland played Whack-a-Mole. I shook my head and smiled; they were all such children, such grown-up children; and for now, they were all mine.


	11. Poor Pirate

Two days later, I decided to walk Henry to the bus. Usually Emma did, since he stayed with her most of the time, but about once a week I'd take him to Granny's for breakfast and walk him to the bus. Today his breakfast of choice was a cheese omelette, pancake, bacon, and a hot chocolate with cinnamon. I contented myself with a blueberry bagel with cream cheese and a coffee. We did a lot of talking; well, Henry did. He told me about how he was the only kid in his class who got 100% on his last math test; I was so proud.

After breakfast we went outside to the bus stop, where two other children were waiting. It was a beautiful morning; the clouds parted around the horizon, allowing the sun just above the horizon turning everything a rich golden color, and the morning dew shone like gems on every leaf and blade of grass.

"You're going to meet me at the office after school, correct?" I confirmed.

"Yep!" he replied. "Can't miss lasagne night!"

I laughed and pulled him into a hug. Then the bus rounded the corner and pulled up the the curb next to us. It made a hissing sound as the yellow doors opened.

"Come on, kids, I don't got all day," the old driver said irritably.

"I gotta go, mom," Henry said.

Even after all of these years, it was still hard to let him go.

Finally, Henry pulled away gently, and I released him. He started walking up the steps in the bus.

"I love you!" I called out to him as he was walking on. I waited, but he had already gone in the bus. I started to get discouraged until I saw one of the windows in the back of the bus open and Henry's head pop out.

"I love you too, Mom!" he shouted as the bus drove away. I smiled; I really did love that little man.

Suddenly, a I heard a deep voice behind me. "Regina!"

I turned around to find the one-handed pirate standing right behind me. He didn't look to good; his clothes were wrinkled, his hair was in a tangled mess, and he was in need of a good shave. There was the not-so-subtle smell of rum surrounding him like a pungent cloud. I felt a stab of guilt in my gut; it was partially my fault that he was so depressed.

"Killian? What are you..."

"I need to talk to you. Now."

"Um, okay." I started to get nervous; after all, I was the one who was sneaking around with his would-be fiancé. His eyes were wild and suspicious, darting in every direction to make sure that no one else could hear.

"Regina," he said, "I think I know why Emma won't marry me."

My anxiety level doubled. _Oh my god, he knows_ , I thought. My palms started to sweat and tremble, and my breathing quickened.

Killian leaned forward, as if telling a dangerous secret.   
"I think..." he whispered, "I think there's another man.

Another _man_. I relaxed; he had no idea what was really going on. It didn't stop me from feeling horrible, though.

He continued, "I know that you've never held me in the highest regard, but I am desperate. Please, help me find the man who has stolen her from me."

I tensed; I was not prepared for this.

"You want me to _what_?"

"Please, Regina, I can't lose her," he pleaded. "She is...everything to me. I've already lost love once, I think I could do it again."

"I don't know..."

"Regina, you're her best friend; you're the only one to whom she tells everything." He looked on the brink of tears. This couldn't be happening.   
"Please," he whispered.

How could I tell him, in this state? And his could I say no?   
"I...I'll try."

I saw a single tear roll down his face. He took my hand, gripping it like a lifeline, and kissed it. "Thank you," he said shakily. Then he walked down the alleyway, disappearing around the corner.

I walked over to the office, face completely expressionless. It wasn't until I closed the office door behind me that I sunk into the couch and cried.


	12. Break In

Mountains of multicolored papers were piled on my desk. Some needed to go to the sheriff's office, some needed to go to the courthouse, and some needed to be labeled and filed away. I had been working all day, and yet it seemed like I'd hardly gotten any if it done. I would have been completely on top of it these past two weeks of it hadn't been for...distractions.

I set my pen down and rubbed my temples. I knew it wouldn't help me at all, but I couldn't help looking at the clock on my desk; the red digital numbers read 2:14 PM. I still had three more hours before I could take Henry home. Ugh.

Suddenly the phone rang. Odd; I wasn't expecting calls today. I picked it up. "Hello, this is the mayor's office."

"Regina?"

"Doctor Hopper?"

"Something's happened, and I'm afraid that it directly concerns you. You might want to come down here. As soon as possible."

 

I arrived at Doctor Hopper's office ten minutes later. As I walked into the building, I noticed Emma's yellow bug parked outside. What was she doing here?

I ran up the stairs and down the hall; the door was already open. Odd. Then I noticed the glass fragments covering the green carpet.

"Archie?" I yelled, rushing through the doorway. Thankfully, he was standing in the middle of the office with Emma; his blue collared shirt was neatly buttoned, his kakis nicely ironed. Only someone who knew him well could tell that he was really shaken: his sleeves were rolled up different lengths, his hair was slightly ruffled, and his eyes looked tired.

His office was a sight; papers were strewn across the floor, pencils laid all across his desk, and every drawer seemed to be open.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Break in," said Emma. "Would be your standard deal, but it doesn't look like they stole anything of value."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Archie contradicted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma said.

"Whoever came in here knew what they wanted, and unfortunately, they got it."

"Well, what did they get?" I asked, exasperated by the delay; I wished he would just get to the point, instead of giving us this suspense.

He looked up at me with remorse. "They...they took your file, Regina."

I didn't move. I didn't speak. It didn't quite register for a moment. Then I felt my heart sink with dread. Everything that I had ever told him---every lie, crime, and murder I'd ever committed--was in that file. Things that I had only ever told him and Emma.

I sunk into one of the armchairs and put my head in my hands. I didn't know how to handle this situation.

"What?!?" Emma exclaimed. "Why would they take her files?"

Archie opened his mouth to speak, but shit it quickly. He looked at me questioningly, asking my permission.

"It's okay, Archie," I said, nodding.

He nodded in return. Then he turned back to Emma. "Regina has come into my office more than once for a session; it helped her come to terms with her past, and overcome it."

"Okay...I still don't-"

"I told him everything, Emma," I snapped, looking up. "Everything I told you about who I was and what I did...everything." I sighed, and hung my head. "You and he were the only ones I shared that with. But now...now someone has their hands on all of that."

"Despite how far she's come, there are still many people in this town who consider her an enemy. Some who are willing to...take things into their own hands."

Finally the severity of the situation dawned on her. She stood still, her mouth slightly agape. "So they could use it to..." She couldn't even finish her sentence. She rushed over to where I was sitting, kneeling so that her face was level with mine. With her soft hands she gently lifted my chin until I was staring into her beautiful green eyes.

"I will find them, Regina," she said. Her voice was low, deep, and determined: protective, even. "And I won't let them get away with it." Then her voice became softer, and comforting. "Everything will be okay. Don't worry." She leaned forward, lifting herself up slightly, and kissed my forehead. It was tender and caring, very different from the kisses we had previously shared. It made me feel something deeper in my chest, and I smiled instinctively. Suddenly she stood up, determination set on her face, and all but ran out of the room. I was alone with Archie.

We sat in silence for a minute, unsure what to say. I was still in a state of shock. Finally, he spoke.

"I know that you might not want to talk about it at the moment, but as your doctor," he paused, "as your friend, I need to ask...what is going on between you and Emma?"

I hesitated. "Honestly...I don't know."

"Last time you were here you sounded like you were going to break things off before it got too far."

"I was!" I insisted. "I asked her to come by the office and I told her it couldn't work. Then there was the big storm and things got...complicated." I squirmed in my seat, remembering that night.

"Ah, I see." He sat, thinking for a moment. "What does Robin think of this."

I tensed up; I had been afraid of this question. "He...he doesn't know."

He sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his head. "Regina, we've talked about this. You need to be honest, especially with those you care about."

"I know, I know I have to tell him," I sighed. "It's just...I don't want to see what it will do to him. I love him."

"And Emma?"

"I...I don't know."

"Well, you'd better figure it out soon, Regina; the longer you wait, the more severe the consequences will be."

I nodded. "I understand, Dr. Hopper."

"Good." Then he smiled. "You know, you've seen me enough that you could probably just call me Archie."

I laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." I stood up and started to walk out. I stopped in the doorway, and turned. "Thank you...Archie."

His smile widened, as if I'd just made his day. "My pleasure, Regina," he said, placing reassuring hand on my shoulder. I smiled back in return, then walked out the door, careful to avoid the sharp glass shards. Before leaving the building I paused, considered for a moment, and waved my hand over the mess. The glass rises from the floor, swirled briefly in the air, as placed themselves back in their original positions on the door. Finally deciding that it was good enough, I turned and walked back to my office.


	13. Secret’s Out

The next morning I awoke to a bright light piercing through my right eyelid. I opened my eyes briefly, shutting them immediately to block the blinding light. I adjusted myself quickly so that it was bearable, and opened my eyes again. My room was much brighter than usual. The heavy curtains blocked almost everything except one bar of sharp, yellow light that stretched across the bed and onto the pillow where my head had rested just moments before.

I looked to my left, where I would normally find Robin still sleeping; it was empty. He was already gone, still helping with the damages caused by the storm almost three weeks earlier. I smiled; he was so thoughtful.

I stretched, twisting my body and reaching my arms and legs towards the corners of the bed; then suddenly relaxing, body splayed across it. Finally, I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed, my toes sinking into the soft carpet. I walked quickly towards the window and looked outside. It was gorgeous: sunny, without a single cloud in sight; a very rare occurrence for Storybrooke. I loved these days. Everything just seemed more...beautiful, and hopeful. I wanted to run outside and soak in the warm rays, but I quickly reigned in my excitement. It was time to get ready for the day.

So I showered and got dressed, choosing a royal blue v-neck dress that came down just above my knees, paired with black leggings, black heeled boots, and my favorite tree-pendant necklace. I walked into Roland's room where he lay asleep. He was so peaceful, with a slight smile on his face. Beautiful. Reluctantly, I gently shook him awake.   
"Roland," I said in a quiet sing-song voice. "It's time to get up, sweetheart."

He rolled over, groaning; he never liked getting up.

"Come on, you have to get ready for school."

He pulled the covers over his head, trying to block the intrusive lights and sounds. It made me chuckle a little.

"If you get up now," I bribed, "I'll make you pancakes."

That got his attention. He shot up, his tired eyes full of excitement. He rubbed them and yawned. "Good morning, Regina," he said quietly.

"Good morning, sweetheart," I responded. "Now, go get dressed and ready while I make breakfast, okay?"

He nodded, still not fully awake. He climbed out of bed, droopy-eyed and uncoordinated, and walked over to where his clothes were laid out. I walked downstairs, a woman of my word, and started making pancakes.

It was such a calming thing: cracking and beating the eggs, the slow mixing of the flour, pancake mix, and vanilla; I could almost forget the roller coaster my life had turned into. I spooned one circle of batter o the pre-heated pan. As one of the sides of my pancake was cooking, I added a gratuitous amount of chocolate chips to the rest of the mixture for Roland.

The aroma of pancakes spread through the entire kitchen, making it smell like a bakery. It must have spread to the rest of the house, too, because by the time I was done with his pancake I heard a series of bangs and thuds, and Roland running down the hall.

"Don't run down the stairs!" I cautioned, putting his pancake on a plate and turning around. He screeched to a halt just above the stairs, eyeing them carefully, then eyeing the pancakes longingly. He walked down the stairs as quickly as he could without running. As soon as his toes touched the hardwood, however, he bolted into the kitchen and looked up at me, his mouth watering.

"I'll bring you your pancakes in a second, okay?" I said. "Why don't you grab your fork real quick and sit down?"

He obliged, grabbing silverware and napkins and running to the table. I laughed; he was just like his father. I grabbed the syrup and whipped cream and balanced the two plates on my arm to bring them to the table.

"I'll be right back," I said as I placed breakfast on the table. I could hear Roland digging in as I walked to the front door to grab the newspaper. I opened the door and took a deep breath, smelling the flowers and soaking in the warmth of the sunny day. Finally, I reached down to grab the newspaper. The front page read, "Bakery Break In: A Sticky Situation." I shook my head; Sydney's headlines were only getting worse. Reluctantly, I turned away from the sun and walked back to the table. Roland was already halfway done with breakfast. Before starting, I took the funnies out of the paper and handed it to him, and started myself on the headlines.

When I was about halfway through my pancakes, Roland suddenly said, "Regina, why are you in the paper?"

"What?" I grabbed the paper from him and looked at it. I had never noticed that on the other side of the funnies was the gossip column; I'd never had an interest in either. Sure enough, there was a picture of me right at the top...but I was not alone. I quickly read the article.

  
_"Over the past few years, Mayor Regina Mills and Sheriff Emma Swan have become quite the team, After saving Storybrooke and, essentially, raising a child together, it's understandable that they would become close. Very close, according to our source._

_Apparently, Emma was at the mayor's office--clearly to discuss the crime problem in Storybrooke--when the big storm hit, and Emma was 'forced' to stay the night. But if course it was completely necessary for her to stay; how could she possibly have gone home in a storm that lasted for two hours? Although some people have started speculating, there is no evidence that the two are anything more than very good friends..._

_...except from Regina's own mouth. Our source happened to stumble upon Regina's file from Dr. Hopper (she has a shrink, what a shock!). There was a lot of juicy information from her days as the Evil Queen, but we're not interested in the past. What caught our eye were the notes from her most recent selection; oddly enough, they were taken the same day as the giant storm. The notes detail the mayor's conflicting emotions over Emma's advances towards her, despite the fact that her boyfriend, Robin Hood, had just moved in with her. At the end of the notes, Dr. Hopper wrote that he believed that Regina would break things off with Emma that night, which must be why Regina invited her to her office that night. Of course, we believe that Miss Swan would respect her wishes to discontinue the relationship, seeing as how she was already in a committed relationship._

_Or not._

_Our source also managed to capture this moment on camera. The picture was taken only Thursday afternoon in in the sheriff's station. So happy to know that our tax dollars are being well spent on our security and well-being. Even in this quick snap, we can tell that Emma is calling the shots in this relationship; can it even be called that? So the savior has tamed the once-untamable Evil Queen, ruining two perfectly good relationships on the way. Bravo!_

_The real question is, how are Robin and the apparently estranged pirate, Captain Hook, handling this new situation? Are they aware of this new level of 'friendship' between their once-lovers? All of this and more coming soon.”_

  
I was stunned. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. And I certainly couldn't tear my eyes away from that picture. It was me and Emma kissing in the sheriff's station. How had they even gotten that? _This_ is what they wanted my files for? To expose me and Emma? I read it again. And again. With horror, I realized that they were deliberately attacking Emma. They made it sound like she was some viper stealing me away from my happy ending!

Was she?

She meant well, I knew that, but was she stealing me away from my happy ending? What even was my happy ending? I didn't know anymore.

Regardless, I couldn't bear seeing Emma slandered this way. I needed to find whoever stole my file...but how?

Suddenly I remembered that Roland was sitting right there, plate all but licked clean, and that he needed to go to school. I scarfed down the rest of my breakfast, quickly snatched my purse and keys, and ran out the door, Roland in tow. I left him by Granny's, as I always did, and walked to work. However, through the entire day I couldn't stop thinking about the article. Or about Emma.


	14. Consequences

I didn't worry too much about the article itself. I was much more concerned with whoever stole my files and ruined Emma's reputation. Besides, I figured that no one actually read the gossip column, anyways.

I was wrong.

I noticed the first stares at Granny's during lunch. Some glared maliciously; some simply stared at me with curiosity; most of them, however, seemed to be more sympathetic than anything else. It felt eerie, all of those people looking at me. Throughout the entire meal I could feel their gaze on me.

After that it seemed like everywhere I went, people's eyes followed me. I hated it; I felt like an animal in a zoo. In order to avoid them, I stayed in my office all day. However, I couldn't avoid the problem forever.

I was almost ready to put everything away and head home when I heard the door open. I looked up; it was Robin, and he wasn't happy.

"What the hell is this, Regina?!?" He demanded, throwing the paper on the table with the picture of me and Emma facing up.

"I...I..." I couldn't speak. Exactly what was I supposed to say?

"You've been lying to me for two weeks? Sneaking off with  _her_?" He picked up the article again, scanned it quickly then threw it back on the desk. "It says this was taken on Thursday. I thought that you were backed up on work." He looked at me, hurt and betrayed, and my heart broke. This is exactly what I was afraid of. I finally realized that I should have told him; I should have told him everything before he found out for himself.

"And do you know what the worst part is?" he asked, tears in his eyes. "I didn't even find out from you. I had to hear about this from a random woman at the gas station, who told me how sorry she was for my situation. I told her that I had no idea what she was talking about, so she showed me this! Why was I the last to know? Regina, what is going on?" He stood shaking, looking down at me and waiting for my response.

By now I was crying; salty tears fell down my cheek and splashed onto the ground. "I...I don't know," I whispered, lowering my head in shame. "It just kind of...happened."

"I thought you loved me."

"I do!" I exclaimed, jumping up out of my seat. I ran to him and gripped his arms, trying to get him to look me in the eyes. "I do love you, Robin!"

Finally he looked up at me. "And what about Emma?"

"I...I don't know."

He dropped his head again, backing away so that my arms fell to my sides. "That's what I was afraid of." He sighed. "Whenever you figure out what the hell is going on between you two, let me know. Until then, I'm going to take Roland to spend some nights with the Merry Men." With that he turned away from me and started walking slowly out the door, head and shoulders dropped.

"Robin..." I pleaded.

He paused in the doorway, a pained look on his face. He still wouldn't look straight at me, focusing his gaze on the wall to the left.

"Goodbye, Regina," he whispered. Then he was gone.


	15. Close Call

My tears blurred my vision as I walked as quickly as I could down the sidewalk. Most people were home by now, finishing dinner with their families. Those that were still out and about were drinking or playing pool; I was alone.

The flickering street lamps and starless sky matched my mood perfectly. The wind moaned mournfully through the trees, making the branches creak and snap. The whole town just seemed...sad. Lonely, even. I looked down at the pavement as I walked, watching the salty drops fall from my face and leave a trail behind me. I didn't see where I was going, and ended up running into someone who was also walking home.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said quietly.

"You'd better be," said a deep, slurred voice. I looked up, and the man's piercing blue eyes glared into mine.

 _Oh, no._  I'd run right smack into Killian Jones, and he was drunk.

I took a step back. "Killian, I-"

"You," he spat. "You took her away from me, you snake. I thought I could trust you!" He threw his empty bottle on the ground, shattering it on the pavement. Green shards of glass went flying in every direction, scattering across the road and cutting into my leg. I jumped back, yelping in pain.

"I'm...I'm so sorry," I whispered. It stung where the glass cut me just above my ankle. I felt one small drop of blood slowly form at the corner of the scratch, and then inch down my ankle. I wanted to wipe it off, but the only movement I could manage was the shaking if my shoulders as I silently sobbed.

He looked at me again. He was suddenly very calm, but that was even more frightening than when he was yelling at me; it wasn't a happy calm; rage still burned in his eyes, but now it was also held some thing else. Something...sinister.

"You will be," he said in a deep, bone-chilling voice. Before I could react, he stepped towards me, pulled my arm towards him with his hook, and grabbed my wrist. No, he didn't grab; he put something on my wrist. Like a bracelet, or a...

_No._

I looked down at my wrist and, sure enough, there was the cuff; the one that stopped all of my magic. I finally grasped how dangerous the situation was. Without magic, I was defenseless.

He grabbed my arm forcefully and pulled me closer until I was right up against his body. I could smell the pungent aroma of rum on his breath.

"Why don't we take a little stroll...Madam Mayor." He slurred. Even intoxicated, he was stronger than me, and I felt myself being dragged behind the building, towards the woods.

"Killian!" A familiar voice yelled. I sighed in relief as Emma pulled him away from me and stepped between us. He fell heavily to the ground. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!?"

Killian wiped his face and stood up, looking pleadingly at Emma. "Emma, listen to me. I know I went a little fast, and I've learned from my mistake. I want you to come back home with me," he whimpered. Then his face became harsher, but still begging. "You don't have to do this. You are strong; you can overcome whatever spell the witch has cast on you."

"She hasn't cast any spell, Killian," she insisted. "I love her."

That threw me completely off guard. Emma loved me? Truly  _loved_  me? But how did I feel about her? My mind started reeling, and I felt lightheaded.

Killian was staring in horror, his eyes darting between Emma and me. "No...no, it's some trick."

"It's no trick; I love her."

"But what about everything you told me? What about what we had?" he shouted.

Emma sighed. "I wasn't lying. I did...I  _do_  love you, and it breaks my heart to see you hurt this way." She turned to look at me. "But my heart was leading me somewhere else."

My heart fluttered, but an overwhelming feeling of guilt quickly followed, like a very heavy blanket.

Emma wrapped her arms around me protectively, still facing the pirate. "I think you need to leave now," she said quietly, but firmly.

Hook opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it almost immediately, clenching his jaw. He turned, glanced back at me bitterly one more time, then walked away.

We stood there on the sidewalk for a couple of seconds, breathing heavily. Then Emma turned around to face me. "Are you alright?" she asked. She was wearing her classic sheriff's outfit: black jeans, solid t-shirt, and her favorite red leather jacket. Tonight she also wore a blue knitted beanie.

"I'm fine," I snapped.

She nodded. "Why didn't you use your magic to defend yourself? You could have just poofed out of there at any time."

I lifted my arm and showed her my wrist.

"Oh." Gently, she took my hand and removed the cuff.

"Thanks," I said gruffly.

"You're welcome." There was an awkward pause. "Let's get you home," she said, putting her arm around my back to lead me away.

I stepped away and shook my head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not? You need to get home, and Killian might not give up just yet."

"Emma..." my heart broke at the thought of hurting her, but I had to say it. "This can't happen. You, me...us." I sighed. "I can't do this. I can't do this to Robin, to Roland, to your parents, or to Killian. I don't know exactly what this is, but it's hurting people, people we love, and I can't." I started crying, tears falling down my face in streams. "I'm should have stopped it before it got this far. I'm..." My voice cracked. "I'm so sorry," I whispered.

Emma wasn't moving. She wasn't yelling it stirring away like I thought she would be. She was simply standing, her head lowered. It took me a couple of moments before I saw her shoulders shaking with sobs. "Regina..." she whispered, her head still bowed.

I couldn't bear it; I had to get away. The last thing I saw was Emma's emerald eyes shining with fresh tears peek out under her long hair before the purple cloud of magic enveloped me.


	16. A Clue

Before now I had sought comfort in my house; the white walls, the dark tables, the grey sofas. But now the colorless walls only emphasized the emptiness of the house. There were no children running down the hallway, no one waiting for me to cook supper, and no one to hold me in their arms and tell me everything was going to be alright. I sat and laid down on all of the chairs in the house. When I wasn't doing that, I wandered aimlessly down the hallways; pacing and thinking. I would go out for a walk, but outside was worse.

The entire previous day had been horrendous. Everywhere I went, eyes followed me. Whether they were curious, sympathetic, or malicious I could feel their stares in the back of my head. It made me uneasy and tense all day. One man even screamed "Whore!" at me across the street; it was immediately accompanied by quiet murmurs of agreement. I walked quicker, bowing my head in an attempt to hide my face with my hair.

As bad as it was for me, it wasn't even close to what happened to Emma.

As I walked home from work that night, I passed by the sheriff's station. To my horror, I saw that someone had vandalized Emma's car. The word "FAG" was written across the entire left side of the car in red spray paint. Emma was there, just starting to scrub at the corner of the "G." As she went to dip her brush in the bucket, she looked up and met my eyes. Immediately, she looked away and continued scrubbing.

"Emma, I..."

"I don't want to talk," Emma snapped.

I was taken aback. She hadn't spoken to me in that tone of voice since before the second curse. With a tear in my eye, I turned and walked away. What could I do? There was nothing I could say to her that would make her talk to me.

Now I sat in my dining room, my upper body slumped on the table. There was no one there for me, and I'd long since abandoned taking my pain out on others, so what purpose did I have?

As I sat there, head in my hands, contemplating my own existence, I heard a sharp knock on the door. The sound broke me out of my reverie. Who would come to my house? What if it was Hook coming to kill me?

Or what if it was Emma coming to forgive me?

I walked to the door cautiously, trying to be quiet so that whoever was on the other side of the door wouldn't hear me, and looked through the peephole.

I threw open the door in relief. "Henry!"

"Hi, Mom," he said. I pulled him India tight hug; the one person in this town I hadn't alienated. The smell of his hair warmed my heart and relaxed my muscles.

"I missed you," I whispered.

"I missed you, too." He hugged me tighter. Then he pulled away from me, his face serious. "I have something I need to show you."

"What is it, Henry?" I said, bringing him inside. The door clicked shut behind us.

He took a deep breath. "So, today I decided to go to Archie's office to hang with Pongo and chat with Archie a bit."

"Okay..." I said. I wasn't sure what he was getting at.

"Well, as I was playing with Pongo on the floor, I saw something shining under Archie's dresser, and I found this." He held out his hand; in it he held a cuff link.

"What?" I took it from him to examine it closer. "It's a crest."

"And it definitely wasn't there a couple of weeks ago."

"So this crest," I surmised, "must belong to the man that took my files!"  
Henry nodded. "I thought maybe you'd know whose crest it is."

I looked at it closer. There were seven green flowers decorating the top, under which was a red pointed divider, with a green lion roaring at the bottom. I tried to remember where that crest came from. It was so familiar...

Suddenly, I did remember. "Henry, come with me."

"Where are we going? Do you know who it belongs to?"

"I do indeed, but it's not quite as simple as that. I need some answers." And I was afraid of what would be waiting for me when I got there.


	17. Getting Answers

I stood in front of the door for a moment, palming the cufflink in my hand nervously. I knew I had to knock, but I was afraid. It had been a long time since I was this scared. If I knocked, there was a good likelihood that I would be killed. Or maimed. Or both.

And that was if I was lucky.

"It's okay, mom," Henry said, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. I smiled at him gratefully. Taking a deep breath, I knocked three times. I heard things move on the other side for a couple of seconds, then the door opened. It was David. Crap.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

"I...I just wanted..." Why was I so nervous? I shouldn't really be afraid of David, even if he was the father of the woman whose heart is just broken.

Oh, yes; that's exactly why I was nervous.

"You just wanted to what?" he said. "Hurt our daughter more?"

"David..." I heard Mary Margaret try to calm him.

"Let me take care of this," he said, turning to look at her. Then he halted back at me. "Well? Spit it out."

"I just wanted to speak with you." I said, holding my hands up defensively. 

"Well, I have nothing to say to you, Regina," he said, and started to shut the door on me.

"Wait, Grandpa," Henry interjected, strong around me so David could see him.

"Henry?," David asked, surprised. "What are you..."

"You need to listen to her."

David pressed his lips together, debating whether or not to let me in. "Fine," he said, stepping out of the way. I walked inside, avoiding David's menacing gaze. I heard the door click behind me rather ominously. It made me uneasy.

David came around and leaned up against the table, facing me. "Well," he said, folding his arms. "What do you need to talk about.

I started palming the cufflink again nervously. God, I needed to pull myself together.

"Henry found this in Archie's office today," I said, holding my hand out to David. He took the cufflink and put it up close to his face to examine it. "Look familiar?" I asked.

"Yes" he replied. "It's my crest. But I don't understand..."

Mary Margaret got up from her place at the table and looked at it. "You don't even wear cuff links," she whispered.

"Exactly," I confirmed. I was growing bolder, my nervous kid ebbing away. "So can someone please tell me why this was in Archie's office? Who else would wear your crest."

David deliberated. His brow furrowed, and his lips pressed together in frustration. Suddenly, the furrows in his forehead deepened from deliberation to rage.

"I know exactly who did this," he said in a low, savage voice.

"Who?" Mary Margaret asked in her light, soft voice.

"The only other man alive who shares my crest; the one who gave it to me in the first place."

"King George?!?" Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"Spencer," I spat.

"Indeed," David affirmed.

"I don't understand," I said, shaking my head. "He came to my office almost threw weeks ago and threatened me; why is he after me? I didn't do anything to him!"

"He's not after you," David explained. "He's not even really after Emma; he's after me. He's trying to get at me by attacking my family...again."

"Will he ever stop?" Mary Margaret said, exasperated, but also worried.

"Oh, he will this time," David assured. "I'll see to that." He got up and started grabbing his things: his belt, his jacket, and his badge.

"You're going now?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied. "The sooner we get that bastard in jail, the better I'll feel." He leaned over, quickly pecked Mary Margaret on the cheek, and rushed out the door. Suddenly it was just the two of us. One could have cut a knife through the awkward silence.

Finally, she spoke. "Emma won't be here for a while."

"I know."

She nodded. "Wanna talk about it at all?"

"No," I said shortly.

She sighed. "I know we haven't always been very close, but now I can say that we are friends. And, even if you can't tell me as a friend, I am Emma's mother; I think I have a right to know what's going on."

I could see her point. I was responsible for Emma's current condition. So I told her everything (minus...certain details). I told her about the kiss, about trying to  end it at the office, about Spencer, about sneaking around, and finally ending it all. By the end of it I was sitting in the chair sobbing. I had never been this vulnerable. And, though I hated it, I had to admit that at took a lot of weight off my shoulders.

Mary Margaret didn't speak once during the entire story. She merely nodded on occasion. At one point, I wondered if she had even heard me. After I finished she sat in silence for a bit. Finally she spoke.

"So, you've told me what happened...but you never said how you feel about her."

"Why does everyone ask me that?" I asked, exasperated.

"Well, because it matters."

"I don't know...all I know is that she makes me happy just by being in the room; I know that she's the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life, both inside and out; I know that I think about her all the time, even when I'm dreaming; I know that I don't want to live without her in my life."

"So why did you end things with her?"

I wasn't sure if I wanted to answer that question. However, since I was already on a roll, I thought I might as well tell her everything.

"I...I'm meant to be with Robin," I said.

"What?" That clearly wasn't quite the answer she had expected. "What do you mean, 'meant to be?'"

"When I was in the Enchanted Forest, just after marrying your father, I met Tinkerbell. She wanted to help me find happiness, so she used pixie dust to find the man I was destined to be with. And it led me to a man with a lion tattoo: Robin Hood."

"Oh, I see," said Mary Margaret.

"I do care for Emma, but I do not want to lead her on when I am meant for another. I can't..." Tears started welling in my eyes, and I had to fight to stop myself from crying again.

"I understand," Mary Margaret said, compassion in her eyes.

"You do?"

She nodded. "Pixie dust never lies, right?"

I nodded, smiling. "Right." She smiled, and we chatted about unimportant things for a couple of minutes before she walked me to the door.

It was a relief that she understood my decision...yet my heart still fell a little after she did. There was a part of me that had hoped she wouldn't: that she would challenge me and convince me to change my mind. Would I have even listened?


	18. Forgiven

David found Spencer, along with my file, in his office. Turns out he had been leaking information to the gossip columnist by email, sending scans of my files so they wouldn't be able to track him. Smart. If it hadn't been for Henry, we might have never caught him.

Mary Margaret had asked me if I wanted to talk to him, but I politely declined; no doubt he'd be doing plenty of talking with David. Besides, there were still some things that I needed to figure out on my own.

So now I was back in my empty house...again. I felt a little better, knowing that Emma wouldn't be attacked by that homophobic bastard again. But, there was still that question; what was I going to do about my feelings for Emma? What did I want? I spent hours sitting on my chair contemplating, and coming up with nothing.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on my front door. I was confused; I wasn't expecting anyone. Then again, people tended to just arrive at my house unexpectedly.

I approached the door and opened it slowly.

"Robin? What are you..."

"Hello, Regina," he said. "I was hoping we could talk. His hair was unkept, his clothes were wrinkled, and it looked like he hadn't slept in days.

I couldn't speak, so I merely nodded and moved aside. He walked in, immediately heading for the sitting room and sunk into his favorite armchair. I took my accustomed seat and prepared myself; odds were this wasn't going to be pleasant.

I waited. He was rubbing his hands together nervously; he seemed to be searching his mind for the right words.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" This was definitely not what I was expecting. I was expecting yelling, screaming, crying...anything but this.

"I'm sorry that I was so quick to leave," he said a little more loudly. "I should have listened to you, Regina, and I should have let you tell me your side of the story."

"But..." I stammered, "...but I went behind your back..."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Regina," he replied. "And I can forgive you...if you can forgive me." He smiled, trying to relieve the tension.

I shook my head, astonished, and looked down. "After all that I've done, you still want me," I whispered.

I heard him get up out of his chair and kneel in front of my chair. He lifted my chin so that I was looking into his eyes. The softness of his beautiful blue eyes comforted me. In them I could see all of the reasons I fell in love with him: his kindness, his bravery, his compassion...why would I go and ruin that?

He placed his warm hand on my cheek, looking at me even more intensely. "Always," he whispered. Then he leaned forward, gently pulling my face towards his, and kissed me.

It was gentle and loving. All the things I had seen in his eyes I felt in his kiss. As beautiful as the moment was, however, I couldn't help but compare it to my kisses with Emma. Those were loving, too, but also wild and passionate. There was just...more.

I tried to shake off those thoughts. I knew that I was happy with Robin; I loved him, and he loved me with all of his heart. Emma and I could never be together in this way, so I knew it would be best if I simply let it die.


	19. A Helpful Fairy

Suddenly, I heard another knock on my door. Why was I suddenly getting so many visitors today? I apologized to Robin and went to answer the door. I surprised to find Mary Margaret, along with a friend.

"Hi, Regina," said Mary Margaret.

"Mary Margaret? Tinkerbell? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought a lot about what you told me," she explained, "particularly about how you first met Robin."

"Well, we didn't exactly kiss on the first date," I said sarcastically.

She brushed it off. "So, I called in a favor," she said, looking at Tinkerbell.

I shifted my attention to the fairy. She donned the customary nun dress that all of the fairy's wore. However, her years in Neverland still showed; there were small wrinkles in her skirt, and mud in her shoes.

"What do you mean, a favor?" I asked.

Tinkerbell answered. "Regina, when I used the pixie dust to show you the man you were meant to be with, it worked perfectly."

"I know," I interrupted. "Because pixie dust never lies."

"That's true," she said, "and it never fails...but it's not always what we expect, either."

"What do you mean?"

"That was many years ago, and at the time, he was your one perfect match," she explained. "However, times change: people change, hearts change. The perfect man for you then might not necessarily be the perfect man for you now...or woman."

Mary Margaret interjected. "Not to mention the fact that Emma wasn't even thought of yet, let alone born."

"So you're saying..."

"Yes," said Tinkerbell. "Emma could potentially be your one true love."

"But how does this even help me?" I challenged.

Tinkerbell and Mary Margaret looked at each other knowingly.

"There is pixie dust here in Storybrooke," said Mary Margaret.

"And we could potentially use it to find out who your perfect match is now."

I didn't know what to say. There were so many conflicting emotions in my head: confusion, excitement, guilt,happiness, sadness...I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Why would you even do that for me?"

"Time," said a new voice. Mary Margaret and Tinkerbell parted to reveal Mother Superior behind them. She had a stern look about her (well, she always did), but her forehead was also wrinkled with worry.,

"Excuse me?"

"The hands on the clock haven't moved in two days," she said. "There's only one thing that has changed recently."

I leaned back in realization. "You think that my relationship with Emma made the clock stop?" I asked.

"It's the only thing we could think of," Mother Superior replied.

Mary Margaret took my hand, pleading. "Please, Regina; this could be exactly what you need to be at peace." Her smile was so full of hope; such a Charming staple.

"No," I said firmly.

"No?" the three said in unison.

"No. I've already made my decision. I have made my promise to Robin already, and I will stick to it. Besides, look at all of the problems this has already caused! I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me."

"Do it, Regina."

I whirled around at the sound of Robin's voice. He had taken off his jacket so that he only wore his dark green t-shirt and was leaning up against the wall behind me.

"Wha...how long have you been there?"

"Long enough." He lifted himself up and approached me, taking my hands in his. "Look, Regina, I love you, and I want you to be with me always..."

"But?"

"But..." he sighed. "But I don't want you to be with someone you don't belong with, and I don't want you to be with me out of obligation. I want you to be with me, but more than that I _need_ you to be happy."

I sighed. He had a point. It wouldn't be fair to either of us.

"If the dust points to me, I will be the happiest man in the world. If not, I will still support you and be there for you when you need me. I promise."

I chuckled quietly. "What did I ever do to deserve your love?" I asked.

He laughed with me, and kissed me quickly.

I took a deep breath. "Alright. Where are we going?"


	20. Pixie Dust Never Lies

We all met in front of the church at 8:30 that evening. The sun was in its way down to the horizon, and cast a golden light over all of Storybrooke. Mother Superior and Tinkerbell were there, along with the Charmings. Robin and Emma stood about five feet in front of me, looking down at the floor awkwardly. I couldn't blame them.

I walked towards them; I felt like I needed to say _something_ to them. I turned first to Emma, whose hair looked like it was spun from gold in the sunlight.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I never wanted this. I never wanted to hurt you."

"It's alright Regina," she said, looking up at me. "This is my fault. I shouldn't hold your feelings against you." She took a deep breath. "If...if it's not me...I want you to know that, it might take me a while, but I will still always be your friend."

That statement brought tears to my eyes. I didn't know why; I'm usually a lot harder to break. I wiped them away. "Thank you," I said. Then I turned to Robin.

Before I could speak, he said, "No matter which it chooses." I nodded in thanks, and returned to my place. I was so blessed to have two such brave and caring and strong people that loved me.

But which one was I destined for?

"Are you ready?" asked Mother Superior.

I took a deep breath. "Yes."

She nodded, and turned to Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell reached into her pouch and pulled out a small vial of glowing green dust. As soon as she opened it, however, the dust seemed to quadruple in volume, taking up most of the ceiling space above my head. It swirled and moved like a living creature made purely of magic. It was so beautiful.

The dust approached me first. It encircled me, surrounded me curiously. As I looked into the swirling patterns, I could see moments of my life with everyone I loved. I saw my father teaching me to ride a horse; I saw Daniel telling me stories under the apple tree; I saw myself holding Henry for the first time; I saw my mother telling me I could have been enough; I saw Robin picking me up and swinging me around in my vault; I saw Emma standing, drenched, in the rain. I was overwhelmed with the feeling of love and devotion, and a single tear fell from my fave, and through the dust.

Suddenly, as if it had picked up a scent, it turned swiftly away from me and rushed to where Emma and Robin were standing. It hovered over both of their heads, undecided. The tension in the room was tangible as we waited to see who it would choose.

Finally, it dove, swirling and circling and weaving around my one true love, rustling her clothes and combing through her long blonde hair.

"Emma," I breathed, beaming. She beamed back with pure joy. The dust collected around her, making every inch of her glow. Beautiful didn't begin to describe what I was looking at.

Suddenly her face changed; it morphed from an expression of joy into one of confusion, then horror. "Regina! Behind you!" She yelled frantically. I spun around in time to see Killian sprinting towards me, hook raised and face enraged. Time seemed to move in slow motion. He was too close; I couldn't defend myself. Instinctively I raised my hands to protect my face.

Then I saw a cascade of yellow curls in front of my face, between me and my attacker. Neither one of us saw it coming, and neither of us registered what had happened until Killian's long, silver hook imbedded itself in the pale shoulder. Emma screamed.


	21. Save the Savior

"Emma!" I shouted in horror. "What have you done???"

David rushed over to us and pulled Killian away from Emma, removing the hook from her shoulder with quiet sickening sucking sound. She grunted in pain.

"What do you think you're doing?" yelled David, grabbing Killian by the collar.

"I...I was aiming for the witch..." Killian said. His face was beyond horrified. It was as if he had just sentenced someone to their death.

"Well, you missed. Happy now????"

"Killian," Emma said softly, clutching her shoulder. "She's not...a...witch," her words began to come slower, her voice weak.

"Emma, are you alright?" I asked.

"I just...feel a little...dizzy." Then she collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"Emma!" We all rushed to her side except Killian, who was frozen in a state of shock.

"Is she breathing?"

"Yes, but she's unconcious."

"Check her heart!"

"Lift her feet!"

"No, her head!"

"What happened?"

"Shut up!" I yelled. Everyone became silent. "Back away from her or else you might suffocate her to death." They obeyed, looking at me with worried expressions. I was trying my very best to be calm; I wanted to be there just like the rest of them: by her side, worrying over her. But I knew that wouldn't help her. "Let's figure out what's going on here before we take any drastic measures." I waved my hand over her body, hoping to find that she had merely fainted. After a few seconds my hopes increased. Maybe she had, after all. Suddenly, I felt something; a very dark force. I could feel it spreading through her veins, creeping through her body ever-so slowly. It seemed to be centered around her shoulder.

Exactly where the hook had pierced her flesh.

"What have you done, pirate?" I asked in a low, menacing voice.

"I...I didn't mean..." he whimpered.

"What do you mean, Regina?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Emma has been cursed." I replied. I grit my teeth together. "And it came from that hook," I said pointing. "Now, I won't ask you again; what did you do to her?"

He hung his head. "The...The Vampire Curse."

"No," I breathed, trying to keep my balance. This is far worse than I could have ever dreamed.

"The Vampire Curse?" David yelled. "You turned our daughter into a vampire?"

"No," I said. "It's far worse."

"How could it be worse?" Mary Margaret was panicking.

"The Vampire Curse is as bad is they come," I explained. "It literally sucks the life out of the victim, until they are nothing but a dry husk. It's incredibly slow and painful, and they remain alive throughout the entire thing." I took a deep, shaggy breath. "Then it destroys their soul, ripping it apart piece by piece until there is nothing left of them. Only then do they die."

"But there must be some way to stop it!" David shouted desperately.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do," I said mournfully. "It's already in her bloodstream. Soon it will take over her entire body." Then my emotions began to shift from heartbreak to fury.

"You," I growled, turning to Killian. "You did this. You...you MONSTER!" I lunged at him, my nails outstretched like claws. Killian came to just enough to dodge my attack. I was going to lunge for his scrawny neck again, but David grabbed me by my arms and held me back.

"Regina! This is not going to help Emma," he said in his commanding voice.

Even as I struggled, I knew he was right, and I burst into tears. Robin walked over and wrapped his arms around me. I cried into his chest bitterly. This wasn't supposed to happen. Why? Why would this happen as soon as it looked like everything was going to be alright? And why would it happen to Emma of all people? She didn't deserve any of this. If anyone were to die, it should have been me.

"Regina..." Mary Margaret said in a low voice. "There might still be a way."

"Well," I spoke harshly through my tears, "I'm sure we'd all _love_ to hear one of your pointless hope speeches now that your daughter is dying."

Her face fell for a moment. I felt horrible; that was a very low blow. But she brushed it off and continued.

"Every curse can be broken," she said, "with true love's kiss."

I paused. That was true; a kiss of true love would bring her back to life. But...could it work?

"Are you suggesting...?"

"Kiss her, Regina!" she suddenly shouted. That surprised me; Mary Margaret never shouted.

David stepped forward and put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Please," he said.

I turned around to look at Robin. His eyes were full of tears, but his face was comforting and determined. "It's okay, Regina," he whispered.

I nodded, and looked at Emma. Already her skin was deathly pale, and her hair lacked all its previous luster. She looked like death itself. I knelt down next to her and brushed brittle strands of hair out of her face. Just before my face touched hers I paused. What if...what if it didn't work? I know what she told Killian, but this whole thing only started less than a month ago. What if she was wrong?

_But what if it works?_

Even as I doubted, though, I knew I had to try; her life depended on it. I closed the distance, gently kissing her beautiful, pale lips.

Immediately I felt a wave of energy erupt from her body, which pushed me away just enough for our lips to separate. I opened my eyes and watched as her face and hair flooded with color. Her eyes fluttered open. Confused, she looked her around until her eyes met mine. She smiled.

"I knew it," she whispered.

I was crying again, but this time they were tears of pure joy. They flowed freely down my face and landed in her perfect golden hair. But neither of us cared about that.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

"I know." She laughed.

"I thought...I almost lost you," I said through my tears.

She smiled at me. "Well, thanks to you, you didn't." She placed her beautiful hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into her touch. It was warm and soft. Then I opened my eyes, and said what had needed to be said for a very long time.

"I love you," I whispered.

Her smile brightened. "I love you too." Then she moved her hand from my cheek to the back of my head and leaned her face up, pulling mine closer, and kissed me. It started out sweet, but quickly filled with all of the love and passion that I had been holding back for so long, and she followed suit.

After a few moments I could hear David grumbling behind me, and Mary Margaret shushing him. I paid them no mind; now that she was here, I was never going to let Emma go. As I pulled away from her and gazed at her in the orange glow of the setting sun with this beautiful woman, I came to realize two things.

One: Emma was the most perfect person ever created; a goddess in all aspects.

Two: She was _mine_.

And I smiled.


	22. Epilogue

"There's not much left, I promise," the seamstress and dresser, Joanna, assured me.

"I hope not," I replied, "because I don't know how much longer I can stand here with you tugging away."

"No need to get snarky," she said under her breath. I chose to ignore her. I wasn't going to let her spoil this day for me.

Suddenly I heard something behind me. There was a brief pause, then I felt the pressure around my waist lessen for just a split second.

"Joanna, what's..."

"Sssh," a new voice shushed. "It's okay, Regina."

"Mary Margaret?"

"I thought you might like a little help from someone you know," she said. I smiled; it was rather nice.

"Are you nervous?" she asked.

I was so nervous. Why should I be? I'd been through this before. The same preparations, the same routine...ish. Being in a different world did lend itself some differences. The lack of a castle, for example. But, still, it was also much the same. Even so, I was still nervous.

I was nervous because today was the day I was going to marry Emma Swan.

"Yeah, a bit."

"I know the feeling," she said.

"You?" I scoffed. "You, Snow White, were nervous about marrying Prince Charming?"

"Done!" She finished tying the last of the ribbons on my back. "Now let me look at you." I turned around so she could see my face. "Absolutely beautiful. But...oh!" She exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"Your hair got a little messed up," she remarked. "Here. Sit down so I can fix it."

I obeyed, carefully stepping down from the platform where I had been standing and sat down in the chair in front of the full length mirror.

"To answer your question," she continued, “I was very nervous at my wedding. Yes, it was supposed to be my happily ever after, but there's always the thought of _what if something goes wrong?_ " She chuckled. "In my case, however, that feeling was very appropriate."

I smiled. I'm glad she could joke now about me crashing her wedding and threatening her entire kingdom.

"The point is, it's natural to feel nervous, even if you're not exactly sure what it is that's making you nervous. It's your wedding day. Just don't let it spoil your day, okay?"

"Okay." By then she had finished doing my hair, so I stood. My black hair was put up in some kind of intricate up-do that I couldn't begin to comprehend, and contrasted with my off-white dress.  Around my neck I wore a simple diamond necklace; about the only simple thing my mother owned before she died.

My makeup was simple and elegant, with my customary red lips and subtle blush. However, my mascara was threatened by the tears welling up in my eyes. I turned and took her hands.

"Thank you, Mary Margaret."

"Oh, no problem. It's only hair."

"No, I mean...thank you for believing in me. Despite everything that I've done to you, to your people, to your family, you never gave up on me for a moment." My voice began to crack. "You became my stepdaughter by force, my friend by your efforts. And now, with your blessing, I will become your daughter."

She chuckled. "We've come full circle, haven't we?" We laughed at that for a bit.

"Indeed." Then I became serious. "I'm so happy that we can finally truly become a family. I think...I think we were always meant to be."

I could see tears starting to well in her eyes, too. Oh, God, this was not helping my attempts to save my makeup. She let my hands go and took a step forward so hat she could give me a giant hug. I hesitated for a moment, but quickly returned the favor. It felt warm and inviting and maternal. I hadn't had a hug like that in...well, a very long time.

"You will always be family," she whispered, "no matter what."

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. Reluctantly, we let go of each other. "Come in!" we said in unison.

The door opened and I was surprised to see Henry walk into the room. He looked so handsome in his little black tuxedo. He wore his favorite dark red tie, and he had put just a bit of gel in his hair to tame his somewhat wild locks. He looked so dashing...and so grown up.

"It's almost time," he said. Then he really looked at me. "Mom, you look...beautiful!"

"Don't sound so surprised," Mary Margaret said jokingly.

"Thank you, Henry," I replied.

"Well, if better go find my seat," Mary Margaret said. "I'll see you out there, okay?

"Okay." She squeezed my hand quickly before she left. Henry hadn't moved.

"Did you need something else, Henry?"

"Nope," he replied.

"Then...what are you doing here?"

He looked down a bit sheepishly. "Well...David is giving Emma away today, but you don't have a dad or anything to give you away, so I was wondering if, maybe...you'd let me step in."

I couldn't speak for a moment; I was touched beyond words. My hand flew over my heart, which was overflowing with pride and joy. I fought more tears; honestly, the wedding hadn't even started yet, and already there were way too many tears.

"Nothing would make me happier," I said.

Henry beamed. He quickly came to stand by me and extended his arm our to me. I smiled back at him, and took his arm. We didn't have to walk very far before we reached the doorway.

"Wait for the music," Henry whispered, "then we start in the right foot."

"I know," I whispered back. My heart was pounding. This was really happening. I took a deep breath. _You can do this_ , I told myself. Then the music started playing.

As we walked through the thin curtain, I could see the bright sunlight reflecting off the beautiful green leaves and grass, the striking white chairs, and the faces of the audience. There were so many people here. What if I tripped? What if I hit of beat? What if something went wrong? My mind swam with every terrible outcome possible...and some that were completely impossible.

Then I saw her.

She was walking towards me from the opposite side of the clearing with her father. Her dress was simpler than mine, but suited her far better than mine ever could; the layered skirt cascaded down around her toes, and the long sleeves draped down to her waist from her wrists. The flowers around her head looked like a halo to me, and she seemed to literally glow in the sunlight.

In the same moment as I saw her, her eyes met mine, and she beamed. That smile made me feel more alive and beautiful than I ever had in my life. The other faces in the crowd just melted away; there was only me and her. It took everything I had not to let go of Henry and run over to her. The music now seemed agonizingly slow. How could it take so long just to get to the center?

Finally, we made it. The boys looked at each other, nodded solemnly, and each took our hands. Then Henry put my hand on top of Emma's, and David put his hand on top of Henry's. I had been accepted into the Charming family long ago, but never had I felt as much so as I did in that moment. Never had I felt this level of love and acceptance and pride directed towards me in my life. It was simply beautiful.

Then the boys each went their separate ways, and left Emma and I with our hands still together. We met each other's gaze again, and I was again struck by her beautiful green eyes, that shone emerald in the sunlight. She smiled, and turned to lead me down the rest of the aisle. I followed her lead; I would have followed her to the moon.

Finally, we made it to the altar, where Mother Superior was waiting for us. She did the usual speech about love and commitment that was customary in the Enchanted Forest, but I wasn't listening; I was looking at Emma. Then it was time to recite our vows. We had decided to write them ourselves. Mother Superior asked me to go first. I was nervous, and my voice quivered, but I still made it through.

"Emma Swan," I said, "When you first came to this town, I didn't know what to make of you. You were brave and kind and bold and you weren't afraid of me. At the time, these were unacceptable to me. Over the years, however, the things that made me despise you became the reasons I fell in love with you. Both you and our son helped me remember to love again. I've done some horrible things in my life, especially to your family, yet you still chose me. And I promise that I will love you more than anyone could dream; I will help and care for you always, and I will never desert you for as long as I live. To this I swear."

Emma was tearing up after my vows. Oh, no; if she cried, then there was no hope for me. Then she started.

"Regina Mills, you and I have both been through many hardships; our lives were never perfect. I dealt with my pain by shutting love out of my heart and building a wall around it to protect me. However, as my mother told me long ago, it was never worth it to keep love out of my heart. You were the one that helped me to tear down the wall and allow love to enter my life, and I quickly fell in love with you completely. Regina, I promise to love and care for you, to never stray, to always cherish you, and to never break your heart. You found me once, and I will never let you lose me again. And if we are ever apart, I will take a page out of my family's book: I will always find you. "

I was definitely crying now. Through my tears I could see that Emma was crying, too. I couldn't believe this was happening; I couldn't believe that in a few moments, this goddess of a woman would be _mine_.

"Emma Swan," Mother Superior said, "do you take this woman to be your wife and promise to love her for all eternity?"

"I do." Hearing her say those words made my heart leap with joy.

"And do you, Regina Mills, promise to take this woman as your wife and love her for all eternity?"

I straightened up a bit. My heart was pounding in my chest, but as I looked again into Emma's emerald-green eyes, I had never been so sure of anything in my whole life.

"I do."


End file.
